A POLICE officer is critically ill following a mass shooting in Chicago.
It is also believed that the gunman killed one of his victims and wounded others before he was shot dead.
The officer was responding to an 'active shooter' incident at the city's Mercy Hospital.
An active shooter is an event in which one or more people are actively engaging in killing or attempting to kill others in a populated area.
There are unconfirmed reports of multiple victims and it is believed that at least one suspect has been shot.
The suspect has been identified by police as a 32-year-old male.
Around 15 medical units and the Chicago Fire Department responded to the incident along with a heavy police presence.
Posting on Twitter, Chicago Police Department's chief communications officer Anthony Guglielmi said of the injured officer: "He is in critical condition but is receiving excellent care. Please send your prayers."
The hospital has been released from lockdown after it was confirmed the shooter was ‘down’ and there was no further danger to the public or staff.
The number and state of other victims is yet to be officially released. Unconfirmed reports place the death toll as including the dead shooter, as well as one of his victims. At least two further people have reportedly been injured.
According to witnesses the gunman first shot his girlfriend outside the hospital, then ran inside the complex before firing at ‘one or two’ other people before also targeting the police officer.
Police confirmed to local media shots were fired both inside and outside the hospital.
“It was chaos, mass chaos,” witness James Gray told ABC 7.
He said he saw a man and woman walking towards the parking lot.
“The gentleman turned around and shot [her] three times in the chest,” Mr Gray said.
“Once she fell to the ground, he turned around and shot her three more times.
“They were walking and talking and he just turned around and started shooting. It wasn’t a heated exchange. It was just like we’re talking now.”
